Camille Catherine, Inc., a Charitable Organization for Contemporary String Playing

We’re excited to announce the formation of Camille Catherine, Inc., an approved 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization, named after the daughter of founder, Christian Howes, reflecting his inspiration and commitment to impact music education. “I want to augment classical training for young musicians by empowering them to be creative in a variety of genres.” This has led to the development of teaching methods, online curriculum, outreach programs, a three-year Associate Professorship at Berklee College of Music, and twelve years presenting the annual Creative Strings Workshop and Festival, a conference where musicians from around the world come to share and effect positive growth in music education.

Our function is to seek and provide support to operate the annual Creative Strings Workshop and fund scholarships for deserving musicians. We take an ongoing role in supporting their further development, whether helping them to navigate continuing education or move forward in long established careers.

Many of the current workshop faculty are former students. Jeremy Kittel, a classically trained Scottish Fiddle champion, recently won a Grammy award as a member of the Turtle Island Quartet. Alex Hargreaves won first prize at both the Weiser and Grandmaster fiddle competitions, currently playing with the likes of Denilo Perez, Sarah Jarocz, Jerry Douglas. Returning participant Andrea Whitt plays regularly in Shania Twain’s band. Besides full-time performers, amateurs, and high school or collegiate students, we also host many full-time music teachers seeking continuing education.

We have garnered support from the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation, Music Loves Ohio, Columbus Music Co-op, Chamber Music Connection, D’Addario, the Yamaha Corporation of America, the Yamaha Corporation of Japan, CityMusic Columbus, and the Loft Violin Shop. In 2012 Christian received the prestigious “Residency Partnership Award” from Chamber Music America, in recognition of music outreach programs in schools. During the 2013-14 school year, he worked in over 50 school orchestra programs across the U.S., and has been asked by the American String Teachers Association to perform and present as part of the keynote during their 2015 national conference.

Says Christian, “All of these developments, I hope, further legitimize in the eyes of the community, the work which I began over twelve years ago as a labor of love with the dream that some day it could fully flourish in a more organized/formalized way. With the recent approval of our 501(c)(3) status, the acquired knowledge of 12 years of experience and a positive reputation in the field, the formation of many growing partnerships, and the development of a staff with a shared vision, I am confident in promising to you that your support will make a huge impact on the lives of students, the community of central Ohio, as well as the future of music education.”

Mission Statement:

The mission of Camille Catherine, Inc is: (1) To provide a variety of educational outreach programs focusing on the advancement of contemporary string music and string pedagogy for violinists, violists, cellists, and bass players and teachers; (2) to present a series of concerts for the general public featuring a variety of exceptional artists from diverse cultural backgrounds performing an eclectic range of musical genres, including, but not limited to, classical, world, jazz, fiddle styles, rock, and blues.

Through such activities, Camille Catherine, Inc. seeks: (1) to provide opportunities to string players to learn and master creative improvisation and composition on their instruments, opportunities which are sorely lacking in the current American classical musical education system; (2) to bring together traditionally segregated components of the community; (3) to foster a new appreciation for stringed instruments by introducing audiences to accessible, alternative musical styles; and (4) to contribute to the cultural edification of the public at large.

Individuals and organizations alike are welcome to help in many ways. Contributions can be directed towards use for scholarships, guest artists, outreach activities, promotion, or operating costs. Volunteers and in-kind support are also welcome.

All contributions are tax-deductible, and will be followed up with proper documentation.

To donate online, you can click one of the many yellow “Donate” buttons located around this website and below. If you prefer to make a contribution via check, please email chris@christianhowes.com to learn more.